Red Lentils with Cashews & Kale

I think out of all the legumes I love lentils the most. Lately anyway.

I make this Spinach & Lentil Soup very often … by the vat, sometimes and eat it all week long. I did that last week, in fact. I throw a can of lentils into salads all the time for a good protein boost.

I was going to talk at length about how healthy lentils are and why they’re a wise choice for your protein source. Instead, you can find everything I would have wanted to say, but I bet they say it better, over at Live Strong.

I chose red lentils for this recipe for a couple reasons. Mainly, because they cook faster than green or brown lentils and I really wasn’t up for much of a cooking session on a Friday night. Also, I have a lot of red lentils and needed to make some room in my pantry.

You could use fresh spinach in place of the kale if you’d like. I am sure it’ll turn out just as flavorful. What I love about the kale though is how it retains some of it’s firm texture.

I used raw cashews in this recipe because, again, that’s what I had. But I bet toasted or roasted cashews would be amazing. I’d stick with using cashews. The mildly sweet creaminess of the cashews really complement the lentils. I am trying to think of another nut to use in place of cashews but I really can’t think of one that would work as perfectly. If you try this with a different nut, share what you used and how it turned out!

You might be thinking I cook with curry a lot. You’d be right. We really enjoy curries from around the world. I am going to challenge myself to try new recipes that aren’t as inspired by the curries we love. Just for a change.

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Wow – this recipe was yummy. I pan-fried the onions, garlic and spices and threw everything in my slow cooker, along with some cauliflower to bulk it out a bit. Off we went to after school sports and came home 4 hours later to the most divine smells. Added the kale and lime juice just after we walked through the door – 5 minutes before eating. I was hoping it would do 2 meals but my family ate the whole lot in one sitting!

Jane you just made my day! Knowing that this recipe turned out great in a slow-cooker is awesome. I was planning on trying it out in the slow cooker myself the next time I make this. Thanks for stopping by to share the tips! I like the idea of adding cauliflower too. Yummy!

This was a huge hit! It was filling, comforting, and perfect for a perfect hot meal in cold weather. It was a little spicy, so people who are not into that should keep that in mind. I made it for a group of 7 who came over for a meal this weekend. One of the guests was gluten-free and I am mostly vegan, so this was the first time I’ve searched my way over to this website. I am so glad I found it! People were practically fighting to have the last spoonful of this dish. I will definitely make this again and am already looking for other recipes to try, even though I myself am not gluten-free. Basically, it was delicious enough to keep me and a table full of other non-gluten-free folks coming back for more.